The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran has wreaked havoc across the Middle East with war spilling over to multiple countries in the region.
Retaliatory strikes have seen several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, and Iraq hit following the attacks, as Iran has threatened its “most intense offensive operation” yet against US bases.
Civilian targets in the Gulf, including hotels and airports, have also been struck, with no end to the war in sight. On Friday, the G7 condemned Iranian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
A number of countries outside of the Middle East have also been impacted, with drones entering their airspace or engagements at sea.
Which countries have been targeted?
US-Israeli attacks on Iran
War broke out on Saturday 28 February, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in an Israeli strike. The large-scale military attack by the US and Israel aimed at bringing down Iran’s nuclear programme and removing the country’s leadership.
Since then, strikes on Iran have continued to target several key military sites and government buildings across the country.
At least 175 people, mostly children, were killed in an attack on a girls’ primary school in Minab, Iranian authorities said. This prompted outrage from rights groups and the UN, which called for an investigation into the “horrific” incident.
The school was adjacent to Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps buildings, which were also flattened in the onslaught.
The US says it is investigating the attack as the United Nations expressed serious concern about the reports. Since then, the US and Israel have targeted Iran’s energy facilities.
Outside of the Middle East, a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday 4 March, killing at least 87 Iranian soldiers.
Reports suggest that over 10,000 troops of the 82nd Airborne Division could be deployed to assist with America’s attacks on the country.
America also conducted a large bombing attack on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil hub crucial to its economy, on 13 March.
Iranian attacks on Israel
The Iranian military has continued to launch missiles and drones at Israel, which have struck civilian targets, according to Israeli authorities.
Nine people were killed in Beit Shemesh on Sunday 1 March after a missile evaded Israeli air defences, the local ambulance service said. At least 16 people have been killed in Israel since, according to Israeli authorities.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said that avenging the US-Israeli attacks was its “legitimate right and duty”.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified along the border of Lebanon in spite of a fragile Qatar-mediated ceasefire negotiated in November 2024.
The militant group sought to avenge the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and launched an attack on Israel after the initial US-Israeli strikes.
It said it fired rockets and drones “in retaliation for the pure blood of... Ayatollah Imam Sayyid Ali al-Husseini Khamenei... and in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the repeated Israeli attacks” in a statement released at the start of the conflict.
Human Rights Watch reported that Israel had used white phosphorous, an incendiary weapon, over civilian homes in Lebanon in a report released on Monday 9 March. The chemical substance can burn skin down to the bone and set buildings on fire.
As of Friday, at least 1,094 people have been killed, according to the country’s health ministry. Over one million people – around 20 per cent of the country’s population – has been displaced, with the UN’s refugee agency declaring a major humanitarian crisis.
Iranian attacks on Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman
Iran has attacked several US military bases across the Gulf in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, causing mayhem across the region.
The countries have been forced to deploy their armed forces in order to intercept aircraft headed into their airspace. Airlines and global travel have been disrupted.
The IRGC said it targeted four US bases including Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, Al Dhafra in the UAE as well as the 5th Fleet service centre. Several American warplanes were also struck down in Kuwait, which were later confirmed to be a result of “friendly fire”.
The Ras Laffan energy hub in Qatar, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility, where over 115,000 people work, was hit by a ballistic missile on 19 March.
The Palm Hotel in Dubai was also hit and a fire broke out after debris reportedly fell from the sky during an Iranian missile attack on the same day on 28 February. One person died and seven were injured at Dubai International Airport after an “incident”.
A Pakistani taxi driver who was still working amid the bombing in Dubai was killed after his car was crushed by a piece of falling debris on Sunday 8 March.
Ports across Oman and US military bases and Zayed International Airport in the UAE have also been struck. Dozens of deaths have been reported.
On Tuesday, 3 March, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh was hit by two drones, causing a “limited fire”. A day later on Wednesday 4 March, the Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura was hit by an Iranian strike.
Attacks have also been reported in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. In Iraq, the US embassy in Baghdad was struck, with four people reportedly killed in the vicinity of the building on 16 March, according to Al Jazeera.
Azerbaijan and Turkey
The conflict has been creeping closer to Europe, with Azerbaijan and Turkey impacted by drones.
On Thursday 5 March, Azerbaijan accused Iran of carrying out a drone strike on its territory.
President Ilham Aliyev blamed the country for carrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression,” and said his military has been told to prepare and implement retaliatory measures.
Iran’s general staff of the armed forces denied it had launched a drone toward Azerbaijan’s territory.
Reports also suggested that missiles had been launched by Iran towards Turkey on Wednesday 4 March, claims the Islamic Republic has denied.
A second ballistic missile was shot down by Nato air defences in Turkish airspace on Monday 9 March with no casualties reported.
Strait of Hormuz
At least 16 vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route that has been largely closed due to the ongoing fighting, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.
Hundreds of ships are reported to have been anchored around the region in an effort to avoid being hit. Hundreds of barrels of oil are reportedly being held up with oil prices surging to over $111 a barrel.
Cyprus
The UK confirmed that strikes hit the RAF Akrotiri air base, targeting its runway, on Sunday 1 March.
On Monday 2 March, it was confirmed that a further two drones had been intercepted.
The UK has sent a warship and helicopters with counter-drone technology to defend the base.
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